The A2 Certificate of Competency (A2 CofC) is a remote pilot competency certificate primarily intended to assure safe operations of drones close to uninvolved persons. It was introduced as part of the new EASA drone regulations.

An A2 CofC allows drone pilots to fly an C2 class aircraft within the A2 subcategory of the Open Category and small legacy aircraft within the A1 transitional subcategory. This contrasts with the GVC, which allows pilots to fly in the specific category using visual line of sight (VLOS) and is required to obtain an Operational Authorisation.

You can get an A2 CofC by completing an online course completing the modules remotely in your own time and at your own convenience.

The A2 CofC course covers topics such as basic principles of flight, congested area operations, avoiding collision, battery safety, and weather factors. It culminates in a theory examination. As a Recognised Assessment Entity (RAE), we now have dispensation from the CAA to allow us to invigilate the A2 CofC theory examination remotely using your webcam to maintain virtual exam conditions - if you choose to sit our online drone training.

There are no requirements to complete a practical flight test or an Operations Manual for the A2 CofC.

Your qualification lasts for five years, after which you’ll have to renew it.

Yes anyone can operate a UAS for commercial gain within any category or subcategory. The purpose of the flight no longer dictates your requirement for training meaning there is no distinction between commercial and non-commercial operations.

If you haven’t got an A2 CofC, you could find yourself limited in terms of where you can fly your drone.

From November 2020, to July 1, 2022, if you have a ‘legacy’ drone weighing between 500g and 2kg (such as Mavic 2 Pro/Zoom, Phantom Series) and you don’t have an A2 CofC, you will have to operate in the A3 subcategory (far from people), which stipulates that there can be no uninvolved people present within the area of flight, and no flight within 150m horizontally of residential, commercial, industrial or recreational areas.

If you have a ‘legacy’ aircraft which weighs up to 500g – such as the DJI Mavic Mini/Spark/Mavic Air – and you don’t have an A2 CofC, you will be restricted to flying in the A3 subcategory.

Yes you must complete a period of practical flight training, either under the guidance of an RAE or under self-monitored circumstances.

You can complete the practical flight training before or after the A2 CofC Ground School. When conducting the self-guided practical training, you should perform as many flights as you deem necessary to gain a reasonable level of knowledge/skills to operate your drone. We recommend a flight time of two hours.

After you have completed your practical flight training, fill out the Candidate Practical Flight Training and Declaration Form and sign it. Scan this form, and then email it to us.

In preparation for your practical flight training, you must first complete the following activities:

Register your drone and complete the CAA’s Drone and Model Aircraft Registration and Education Service mandatory training and examination, and be in possession of the Flyer ID number associated with that test.

Download the Candidate Practical Flight Training and Declaration Form.

Familiarise yourself with your drone's user manual.

The exam sat in formal conditions consists of a minimum of 30 multiple-choice questions, specifically covering meteorology; UAS flight performance; and technical and operational mitigations for ground risk.

The exam is a closed-book format (except when questions require reference to charts, or other sources of specific aeronautical information) and the minimum pass mark is 75%.

The examination will last for 75 minutes. Any candidate with a recognised disability or additional needs (e.g. dyslexia or dyspraxia) will be given an additional 15 minutes.

No - our drone training school helps take you from novice to commercial pilot regardless of any existing drone experience.

Our curriculum ensures that new people entering the industry can get up to speed, while experienced pilots will still be getting value at every stage.

We can offer an online half-day drone flight training course taken before your A2 CofC Course.

Providing you have an A2 CofC, operators can use a C2-rated drone (up to 4kg) in the A2 subcategory to fly up to 30m horizontally from uninvolved people, or 5 metres in ‘low speed’ mode. This will be a major benefit for drone pilots.

During the Transitional Period to July, 1, 2022 – operators who have an A2 CofC can fly a ‘legacy’ drone weighing up to 2kg (ie a DJI Mavic 2 Pro/Zoom, or Phantom 4) in the A2 subcategory and get as close as 50m horizontally from uninvolved people.

During the Transitional Period, operators who have an A2 CofC can also fly a ‘legacy’ aircraft which weighs up to 500g – such as the DJI Mavic Mini – in the A1 Transitional subcategory, where the stipulation is that you must not fly over uninvolved people.

There is no specification in the A2 subcategory/A1 Transitional about operating close to buildings, cars, trains or boats.

Stay calm there's a lot of information to take in and you might slip up on a difficult question or a complex flight task. We do offer a mock test as part of your course. It is multiple choice with a 75% pass mark.

You'll have a chance to go away and brush up on your skills before re-taking the test at a time that's right for you.

We will offer one free resit for a period of 12 months after you have failed your first exam. Any candidates who need to resit the test over a year after failing the first will have to pay a nominal fee as well as sit the exam.

From start to finish the entire process can take less than 1 week.

You can take our online A2 CofC course  during which you'll learn all the necessary knowledge and take the theory exam.

You will need know or learn how to control and fly a drone safely and with confidence.

No but once you're operating commercially  you'll need to have insurance in place for liability to protect your operations and your equipment.

Under the new EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) laws, three categories will define where drones can be flown.

These categories are:

Open: Operations that present a low (or no) risk to third parties.

Specific : Operations that present a greater risk than that of the Open category, or where one or more elements of the operation fall outside the boundaries of the Open Category. Holding an Operational Authorisation allows you to fly in this category.

Certified : Operations that present an equivalent risk to that of manned aviation. This category is for high-complexity missions.

The Open Category is broken down into three subcategories:

A1: Fly over people.

A2 : Fly close to people.

A3 : Fly far from people.

Each of these subcategories has more specified criteria of where/how your drone can be operated.

New European drone regulations started in the UK in January 2021. They now impact anyone who flies a drone;

The new rules have the potential to unlock more flying opportunities for more people;

The PfCO is being replaced by a new system;

Three new categories of operations are being introduced, relating to the level of risk involved in your flight;

New drone classes will be introduced based on weight and other specifications.

CAA CAP 722 has been revised, making several updates to the new drone laws.  Read more to find out how these updates affect you.

New drone regulations started in the UK on December 31, 2020, which remove the PfCO (Permission for Commerical Operations) but have the potential to unlock more flying opportunities for more people.

As part of the new regulations, a new class system for drones will be introduced. Each make of drone will have its own class rating – from C0 to C4 – which will be based on certain criteria, such as weight, maximum speed and other features based around safety and geo-awareness.

Specific classes of drone can be flown in specific subcategories of the Open category.

In January 2021 no drones meet the current class requirements, so no C0-C4 aircraft exists.

Because no drones currently meet the class requirements, the Transitional Period runs from January 2021 to July 1, 2022, to give manufacturers the chance to bring out C0-C4 drones.

This means that you can continue to fly your current DJI drones - to become known as legacy aircraft - in accordance with the new rules.